Myrsidea victrix Waterston

Price, Roger D., Hellenthal, Ronald A. & Weckstein, Jason D., 2004, The genus Myrsidea Waterston (Phthiraptera: Menoponidae) from the toucans (Piciformes: Ramphastidae), with descriptions of three new species, Zootaxa 613, pp. 1-18 : 4-5

Myrsidea victrix Waterston ( Figs. 1–4 )

Myrsidea victrix Waterston 1915: 13 . Type host: “Yellow and black­billed toucan” = Ramphastos swainsonii Gould.

Myrsidea victrix waterstoni Carriker [and Diaz­Ungria] 1961: 14. Type host: R. swainsonii .

Female. As in Fig. 3 . Posterior pronotal margin with 6 setae, metanotal margin with 20– 28. Tergal setae: I, 18–24; II, 15–21; III, 18–23; IV, 17–24; V, 16–19; VI–VII, 15–20; VIII, usually 8, much less often 10. Very long inner posterior marginal setae on IX. Sternal setae: II, 25–32; III, 36–43; IV–V, 43–59; VI, 32–49; VII, 18–25; subgenital plate, 26– 33. Anus with 56–68 ventral fringe setae, 45–49 dorsal. Dimensions: TW, 0.59–0.66; HL, 0.37–0.41; PW, 0.37–0.43; MW, 0.68–0.77; AWIV, 0.82–0.93; ANW, 0.35–0.40; TL, 2.13–2.24.

Male. As in Fig. 1 . Posterior pronotal margin usually with 6, less often 8 setae; metanotal margin with 14–17. Tergal setae: I, 20–23; II–III, 22–26; IV–V, 19–25; VI–VII, 16–23; VIII, 11–13. Medium inner posterior marginal setae on IX. Sternal setae: II, 27– 34; III, 33–38; IV–V, 42–54; VI, 41–47; VII, 20–25; VIII, 9–12. Genitalia as in Fig. 2 ; sac sclerites as in Fig. 4 , with modest interruption in each lateral portion and with thin transverse sclerite medioanterior to them. Dimensions: TW, 0.51–0.59; HL, 0.35–0.39; PW, 0.32–0.38; MW, 0.50–0.57; AWIV, 0.61–0.69; GL, 0.59–0.65; TL, 1.69–1.84.

Material. Ex “Yellow and black­billed toucan”, 4 female, 3 male paratypes of M. victrix , COLOMBIA: Atrato River Valley, Boca da Arguia (1914). Ex R. swainsonii , female holotype, male allotype, 2 male paratypes of M. v. waterstoni , COLOMBIA: La Guayacana, Narino (MAC­635; 6 May 1958); 1 female, 1 male paratypes, same except (MAC­ 28072; 3 May 1958). Ex R. brevis de Schauensee, 7 females, 1 male, COLOMBIA: Nuqui, Chocó (MAC­19360; 1951).

Remarks. The genus Myrsidea was described by Waterston (1915) monotypical for the new species M. victrix . This louse species is easily discerned from the other 2 of this species group by its having both sexes with a larger number of marginal metanotal setae. The type host for M. victrix was given only as a “Yellow and black­billed toucan” from the locality cited above. Hopkins and Clay (1952) interpreted this as R. swainsonii and this action generally has been followed by others. Carriker [and Diaz­Ungria] (1961) considered “ R. swainsonii ” as an error, with the correct host “ R. ambiguus brevis d’Schauense ” = R. brevis . He then described M. v. waterstoni from R. swainsonii . We find this subspecies inseparable from the nominate form and conclude that both R. swainsonii and R. brevis harbor M. victrix .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. 1 – 4, Myrsidea victrix. 1, Dorsoventral male. 2, Male genitalia. 3, Female metanotum and dorsoventral abdomen. 4, Male genital sac sclerites, M. victrix and M. abbreviata. 5 – 6, M. ceciliae. 5, Female metanotal margin and dorsoventral abdomen. 6, Male genital sac sclerites. 7 – 8, M. witti. 7, Male genital sac sclerites. 8, Female dorsal thorax and dorsoventral abdomen.